Displaying publications 41 - 60 of 101 in total

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  1. Hidrus A, Kueh YC, Norsaádah B, Chang YK, Hung TM, Naing NN, et al.
    PMID: 32268601 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17072507
    Brain Breaks videos are web-based structured physical activity (PA) videos that aim at stimulating an interest in learning and promoting health. Exercise is one of the important treatment regimens for people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the effects that Brain Breaks videos have on the motives for PA, as measured by the Physical Activity and Leisure Motivation Scale-Malay (PALMS-M), and the amount of PA, as measured by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Malay (IPAQ-M), in T2DM patients (the most common type of diabetes mellitus patients). This study was conducted using a randomized, double-blind design and grouped subjects under two research conditions: an experimental group given Brain Breaks videos and a control group. Purposive sampling was employed to recruit 70 T2DM patients (male = 39, female = 31) with the mean age of 57.6 (SD = 8.5) from Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan. Over a four-month period, the participants in the experimental group were asked to perform PA daily based on a Brain Breaks video (10 min in duration) that was shared through a WhatsApp group. All participants from both groups answered the PALMS-M questionnaire five times: pre-intervention, the end of the first month, second month, and third month, and post-intervention. A repeated measure multivariate analysis of variance and a repeated measure analysis of variance were performed for the analyses of the data. The results demonstrated that four (appearance, others' expectations, physical condition, and mastery) out of eight motives for PA produced a significant mean score difference between the two study groups. All eight motives for PA showed an upward trend for the experimental group during the study period, while the control group showed a downward trend for all motives during the study period. As for the amount of PA, both groups showed significant differences (p = 0.001). The amount of PA increased in the experimental group during the study period, while it decreased in the control group. Therefore, Brain Breaks videos can be considered as an effective intervention for motivating T2DM patients for PA and improving their amount of PA.
  2. Razak NA, Mn K, Zubairi YZ, Naing NN, Zaki NM
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2013;14(2):825-8.
    PMID: 23621246
    OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the five-year survival among patients with cervical cancer treated in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia.

    METHODS: One hundred and twenty cervical cancer patients diagnosed between 1st July 1995 and 30th June 2007 were identified. Data were obtained from medical records. The survival probability was determined using the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test was applied to compare the survival distribution between groups.

    RESULTS: The overall five-year survival was 39.7% [95%CI (Confidence Interval): 30.7, 51.3] with a median survival time of 40.8 (95%CI: 34.0, 62.0) months. The log-rank test showed that there were survival differences between the groups for the following variables: stage at diagnosis (p=0.005); and primary treatment (p=0.0242). Patients who were diagnosed at the latest stage (III-IV) were found to have the lowest survival, 18.4% (95%CI: 6.75, 50.1), compared to stage I and II where the five-year survival was 54.7% (95%CI: 38.7, 77.2) and 40.8% (95%CI: 27.7, 60.3), respectively. The five-year survival was higher in patients who received surgery [52.6% (95%CI: 37.5, 73.6)] as a primary treatment compared to the non-surgical group [33.3% (95%CI: 22.9, 48.4)].

    CONCLUSION: The five-year survival of cervical cancer patients in this study was low. The survival of those diagnosed at an advanced stage was low compared to early stages. In addition, those who underwent surgery had higher survival than those who had no surgery for primary treatment.

  3. Romaino SMN, Naing NN, Mat Zuki MJ
    Med J Malaysia, 2022 Nov;77(6):696-703.
    PMID: 36448387
    INTRODUCTION: Tuberculosis (TB) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection is a global public health issue among people living with HIV. The objective was to assess the prevalence of TB treatment outcomes (successful and unsuccessful) and associated factors with TB treatment success among TB and HIV co-infected patients in Kelantan for 5 years (2014-2018). The successful TB treatment was defined as the sum of cured patients and those who completed the treatment. The unsuccessful treatment was defined as the sum of treatment failed, died, and default.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the TB/Leprosy Unit of the State Health Department of Kelantan (JKNK) using secondary data from January 2014 to December 2018 assessed in the MyTB online system. The data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 and STATA 14. Ethics approvals were obtained from Medical Research Ethics Committee (MREC) and UniSZA Human Research Ethics Committee (UHREC).

    RESULTS: Kelantan had 6,313 TB cases from January 2014 to December 2018. There were 703 (11.1%) cases of TB and HIV co-infection. The prevalence of successful treatment among TB and HIV co-infected patients was 57.1%. The duration of treatment and anatomy of TB location was significantly associated with TB treatment success.

    CONCLUSION: This study's findings showed that the prevalence of TB treatment success rate was 57.1%, and the unsuccessful rate was 42.9%. The treatment duration and the TB location's anatomy were significantly associated with the treatment success rate. Improving TB treatment outcomes should be started with anti-TB treatment immediately after TB diagnosis. Therefore, the government should strengthen the TB/HIV collaborative efforts to achieve good treatment outcomes among these vulnerable patients.

  4. Naing NN, D'Este C, Isa AR, Salleh R, Bakar N, Mahmod MR
    PMID: 11556591
    Tuberculosis (TB) has made a comeback. It has become a resurgent public health problem in developing countries in the tropics and is the leading cause of death from any single infectious agent. Non-compliance to anti-tuberculosis treatment is the most serious problem in TB control. A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the determinants of poor compliance with anti-tuberculosis treatment among tuberculosis patients in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia in 1999. A total of 390 patients were included in the study of which 130 were tuberculosis patients who defaulted treatment and 260 were those compliant to treatment. Data collection was done by interviewing the patients and collecting clinical and laboratory data from their medical records. Using multiple logistic regression analysis, patients who were not on direct observed therapy (DOT) lived distant to the health facility, were non-intravenous drug users (IVDU) and were HIV positive had statistically significant higher odds of being non-compliant. Patients should be given treatment under direct supervision with special attention to IVDU and HIV positive groups. Anti-TB treatment should be accessible to patients at the nearest health center from their residence. Interventions with health education programs emphasizing the benefits of treatment compliance should be implemented by further large-scale multicentered studies.
    Study site: Chest clinic, Hospital Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia
  5. Naing NN, Ahmad Z, Musa R, Hamid FR, Ghazali H, Bakar MH
    Tob Induc Dis, 2004 Sep 15;2(3):133-40.
    PMID: 19570279 DOI: 10.1186/1617-9625-2-3-133
    A cross-sectional study was conducted to identify the factors related to smoking habits of adolescents among secondary school boys in Kelantan state, Malaysia. A total of 451 upper secondary male students from day, boarding and vocational schools were investigated using a structured questionnaire. Cluster sampling was applied to achieve the required sample size. The significant findings included: 1) the highest prevalence of smoking was found among schoolboys from the vocational school; 2) mean duration of smoking was 2.5 years; 3) there were significant associations between smoking status and parents' smoking history, academic performance, perception of the health hazards of smoking, and type of school attended. Peer influence was the major reason students gave for taking up the habit. Religion was most often indicated by non-smokers as their reason for not smoking. Approximately 3/5 of the smokers had considered quitting and 45% of them had tried at least once to stop smoking. Mass media was indicated as the best information source for the students to acquire knowledge about negative aspects of the smoking habit. The authors believe an epidemic of tobacco use is imminent if drastic action is not taken, and recommend that anti-smoking campaigns with an emphasis on the religious aspect should start as early as in primary school. Intervention programs to encourage behavior modification of adolescents are also recommended.
  6. Naing NN, Ahmad Z
    PMID: 11556602
    A cross-sectional study was conducted to identify the factors related to smoking habits of secondary school teachers in Kelantan, Malaysia. A total of 180 male teachers and trainee teachers from four secondary schools in Kelantan and a Teachers' Training College were interviewed by using a structured questionnaire. Cluster sampling was applied. The significant findings found were current smokers were found as high as 40.56%. Mean duration of smoking was 6.8 years and mean initiation age was 16.5 years. Trainee teachers had a significantly higher proportion of current smokers. There was a significant association between smoking status of teachers and their fathers' and perception of the hazards of smoking on health. Peer influence was found to be the major reason for smoking among smokers. Religious belief and care for health attitude prevented non-smokers from smoking. About 3/5 of smokers thought of quitting smoking and of these 1/4 had tried at least once. There was a significant difference of proportion of attempted quitting between regular and occasional smokers. Mass media was the best source of information on knowledge about smoking hazards. Anti-smoking campaigns should start as early as possible in schools. Lectures and talks on smoking should be included in the curriculum of teachers' training courses.
  7. Siti-Azrin AH, Norsa'adah B, Naing NN
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2014;15(15):6455-9.
    PMID: 25124642
    BACKGROUND: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is the fourth most common cancer in Malaysia. The objective of this study was to determine the five-year survival rate and median survival time of NPC patients in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).

    METHODS: One hundred and thirty four NPC cases confirmed by histopathology in Hospital USM between 1st January 1998 and 31st December 2007 that fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria were retrospectively reviewed. Survival time of NPC patients were estimated by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Log-rank tests were performed to compare survival of cases among presenting symptoms, WHO type, TNM classification and treatment modalities.

    RESULTS: The overall five-year survival rate of NPC patients was 38.0% (95% confidence interval (CI): 29.1, 46.9). The overall median survival time of NPC patients was 31.30 months (95%CI: 23.76, 38.84). The significant factors that altered the survival rate and time were age (p=0.041), cranial nerve involvement (p=0.012), stage (p=0.002), metastases (p=0.008) and treatment (p<0.001).

    CONCLUSION: The median survival of NPC patients is significantly longer for age≤50 years, no cranial nerve involvement, and early stage and is dependent on treatment modalities.

  8. Goni MD, Hasan H, Wan-Arfah N, Naing NN, Deris ZZ, Arifin WN, et al.
    Front Public Health, 2020;8:449.
    PMID: 33014965 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.00449
    The prevalence of respiratory illness has continued to surge among Hajj pilgrims from different countries despite having some practices of preventive measures. Respiratory illnesses during Hajj could be due to many reasons and many factors that promote disease spread. These factors include overcrowding, cigarette smoking, and direct contact with infectious agents particularly viruses promote the spread of respiratory infections. However, due to the longer duration of the pilgrimage, there are high chances of pilgrims contracting various respiratory illnesses due to exposure to respiratory pathogens. Hajj pilgrims' knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward respiratory tract infections are used as the determinant of the effectiveness of the health education interventions. Knowledge and application of basic hygiene principles, use of face masks, following cough etiquettes, engaging in social distancing, and engaging in other measures are highly important. In this paper, we reviewed the various effective intervention strategies implemented to help prevent respiratory tract infections during Hajj.
  9. Pillay KV, Htun M, Naing NN, Norsa'adah B
    PMID: 18613553
    This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and its associated factors among patients with peptic ulcer disease in Taiping Hospital. Consecutive peptic ulcer disease patients who had undergone esophagogastro-duodenoscopy were included. The H. pylori status was assessed by the rapid urease test. We excluded those who had active bleeding, a perforated peptic ulcer, severe vomiting, a history of gastric surgery, peptic ulcer disease or renal or liver diseases, carcinoma of the stomach, and recent use of antibiotics or proton pump inhibitors. Socio-demography, H. pylori status, medication history and other relevant clinical data were collected from case notes. A total of 416 subjects were selected, 49.7% were positive and 50.3% were negative for H. pylori infection. There were significant associations between H. pylori and age, ethnicity, smoking status and NSAID usage. However, there were no significant relationships between H. pylori status and gender or type of peptic ulcer. Multiple logistic regression showed that other ethnicities than Malays and smokers had a higher risk of H. pylori. Our prevalence rate was low and the identified risk factors were consistent with previous studies. Ethnic differences may be related to genetic and sociocultural behaviors. Quitting smoking may benefit peptic ulcer patients with H. pylori infection.
  10. Menon BS, Wan Maziah WM, Jackson N, Jamaluddin N, Narazah MY, Dasgupta A, et al.
    Med J Malaysia, 1999 Jun;54(2):283-4.
    PMID: 10972046
  11. Abdullah J, Naing NN
    Pediatr Neurosurg, 2001 Jan;34(1):13-9.
    PMID: 11275782
    There are few local statistics on the incidence of hydrocephalus and the outcome of hydrocephalic shunts in the South East Asian region. We report a retrospective study on 285 hydrocephalic patients who underwent shunting procedures between 1990 and 1998 at the University Hospital Science Malaysia, a regional referral center. Multiple logistic regression analysis was applied to predict determinants of outcome in relation to the timing of diagnosis, other congenital abnormalities associated with the hydrocephalus, timing of surgery and cortical thickness from CT scan. The relationship of shunt infection was correlated to the age of the patient and surgical procedure. The predictors for developmental outcome reported by this study were age at diagnosis, type of brain abnormalities and gender. Time of operation and cortical thickness did not contribute to the outcome.
  12. Goni MD, Hasan H, Naing NN, Wan-Arfah N, Deris ZZ, Arifin WN, et al.
    J Immigr Minor Health, 2023 Aug;25(4):870-881.
    PMID: 36695987 DOI: 10.1007/s10903-022-01443-4
    This study was aimed at demonstrating the impact of a health education intervention on reducing the incidence of influenza-like illnesses symptoms among Malaysian Hajj pilgrims. This study utilizes a quasi-experimental study in the evaluation of the impact of the intervention. Participants were recruited during Hajj orientation courses organized by private Hajj companies. Participants from two companies were assigned to an intervention group and control group, respectively. The intervention group received a smartphone-based health education intervention guided by the Health Belief Model (HBM), while the control group received a regular Hajj guide intervention smartphone application before departure to Hajj. Data on the incidence of influenza-like illnesses (ILI) were collected from participants from two Hajj companies before and after returning from Hajj. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS with descriptive analysis, and analytical tests were conducted at 5% significance level. A total of 102 pilgrims completed the study in both intervention and control groups. The incidence of ILI and Non-ILI symptoms were statistically significant when the intervention and control groups (p = 0.049) were compared. In conclusion, health education has an impact on reducing the incidence of ILI and non-ILI among Hajj pilgrims.
  13. Azri N, Norsa'adah B, Hassan NB, Naing NN
    Malays J Med Sci, 2021 Dec;28(6):76-87.
    PMID: 35002492 DOI: 10.21315/mjms2021.28.6.8
    Background: Insulin therapy is necessary for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) to reach the targeted glycaemic level and prevent complications. This study aimed to determine the proportion of adherence to insulin therapy and the associated factors in patients with T2DM.

    Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 249 patients with T2DM who had been on insulin therapy for at least 2 months in primary care centres of the Ministry of Health in Klang, Malaysia. A validated insulin adherence questionnaire for diabetes mellitus (DM) was used to assess insulin adherence. Data on the sociodemographic characteristics, disease-related factors, treatment-related factors and clinical parameters were extracted from medical records and interviews with patients.

    Results: The adherence to insulin therapy was 8.43%. The factors associated with insulin adherence were self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 5.39; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.20, 24.13; P = 0.028), exercise (AOR: 3.38; 95% CI: 1.37, 10.03; P = 0.029) and the number of daily insulin injections (AOR: 1.63; 95% CI: 1.09, 2.44; P = 0.017).

    Conclusion: The adherence to insulin therapy in primary health care centres in Malaysia was very poor. Patients who practiced SMBG, exercised and frequent daily insulin injections were significantly more adherent to insulin therapy.

  14. Wan-Arfah N, Norsa'adah B, Naing NN, Zaliha I, Azriani AR, Nik-Rosmawati NH, et al.
    PMID: 23413714
    Assessment of schoolchildren's knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards influenza A (H1N1) is crucial as schools play a major role in spreading the infection. The aims of this study were to determine the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices on influenza A (H1N1) and the factors associated with practices of preventive behavior.A cross sectional study was conducted from July until December 2010. Two public secondary schools for two districts in Kelantan, Malaysia were randomly selected. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of five constructs: sociodemographic, risk factors of containing influenza A (H1N1) infection, knowledge, attitudes, and practices. The questionnaire had been te,sted for its construct validity and reliability. General linear regression was applied in the data analysis. A sample of 436 secondary school students were recruited in this study involved Malay students aged 16 years old. The total knowledge, attitudes and practices scores for the overall respondents were 69.4, 82.2, and 73.8%, respectively. The significant influencing factors for the practices of preventive behavior were attended talk on H1N1 and attitudes score.This study suggested that health education is important for promoting the health of adolescents and contributing to the overall health of the public so that they will take precautions against the H1N1 infection.
  15. Menon BS, Alagaratnam J, Juraida E, Mohamed M, Ibrahim H, Naing NN
    Pediatr Blood Cancer, 2009 Feb;52(2):215-7.
    PMID: 18855905 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.21791
    The aims of this study were to review the presenting features, treatment and outcome for Malaysian children with retinoblastoma currently.
  16. Sharina D, Zulkifli A, Naing NN
    MyJurnal
    Exposure to secondhand smoke has consistently been linked to adverse health effects in children, including reduced lung function and various respiratory diseases. There is also increasing evidence that secondhand smoke exposure is associated with cognitive impairment and behavioral problems in children, This cross sectional study was done on 795 chiildren to determine the association between secondhand smoke exposure and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) and cognitive performance among the primary school children in Kota Bharu Kelantan. A questionnaire was used to obtain information on socio-demography and smoking status of the household. The PEER was measured using a child Mini Wright peak expiratory flow meter while cognitive performance was assessed by four subtests of Weschler Intelligence Scale For Children (WISC III). Data analysis was done using SPSS version 11. Children were classified as exposed to secondhand smoke when at least one househoH member smoked. There were 442 (55 .6%) children exposed to secondhand smoke at home. The mean (SD) PEFR for unexposed and exposed children were 266.18 (60.80) l/min and 266 .06 (57. 70) l/min respectively, The mean (SD) scores for Digit Span Forward, Digit Span Backward Coding and Arithmetic in unexposed chiMren were 6.84 (1.80), 4.Z7(1.68), 45.25 (9,99) and 8.04 (1.04) respectively. The mean (SD) scores for exposed children were 6.73 (1 .77). 4.07 (l .65), 45.1 I (1 I ,03) and 8.13 (1 .00) respectively. Multivariate analysis of variance showed no signincant dijference in the PEFR (p=O.816) and the cognitive scores between exposed and unexposed primary school children in Kota Bharu, Kelantan
  17. Ibrahim MS, Naing NN, Abd Aziz A, Makhtar M, Mohamed Yusoff H, Esa NK, et al.
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Dec 10;19(24).
    PMID: 36554487 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192416601
    During the initial phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there was a critical need to create a valid and reliable screening and surveillance for university staff and students. Consequently, 11 medical experts participated in this cross-sectional study to judge three risk categories of either low, medium, or high, for all 1536 possible combinations of 11 key COVID-19 predictors. The independent experts' judgement on each combination was recorded via a novel dashboard-based rating method which presented combinations of these predictors in a dynamic display within Microsoft Excel. The validated instrument also incorporated an innovative algorithm-derived deduction for efficient rating tasks. The results of the study revealed an ordinal-weighted agreement coefficient of 0.81 (0.79 to 0.82, p-value < 0.001) that reached a substantial class of inferential benchmarking. Meanwhile, on average, the novel algorithm eliminated 76.0% of rating tasks by deducing risk categories based on experts' ratings for prior combinations. As a result, this study reported a valid, complete, practical, and efficient method for COVID-19 health screening via a reliable combinatorial-based experts' judgement. The new method to risk assessment may also prove applicable for wider fields of practice whenever a high-stakes decision-making relies on experts' agreement on combinations of important criteria.
  18. Elmi OS, Hasan H, Abdullah S, Mat Jeab MZ, Bin Alwi Z, Naing NN
    J Infect Dev Ctries, 2015 Oct;9(10):1076-85.
    PMID: 26517482 DOI: 10.3855/jidc.6162
    INTRODUCTION: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) has emerged as a major clinical public health threat and challenges the national TB control program in Malaysia. Data that elaborates on the risk factors associated with the development of MDR-TB is highly limited in this country. This study was aimed to determine the risk factors associated with the development of MDR-TB patients in peninsular Malaysia.
    METHODOLOGY: This was a case control study; the data were collected from medical records of all the registered MDR-TB patients at five referral TB hospitals in peninsular Malaysia from January 2010 to April 2014. The 105 cases were all confirmed by a positive sputum culture of Mycobacterium tuberculosis for MDR-TB and extensively drug-resistant (XDR)-TB. As a comparison, a total of 209 non-MDR-TB cases were randomly selected as controls.
    RESULTS: A total of 105 MDR-TB and 209 non MDR-TB patients were studied. The risk factors associated with MDR-TB within the multivariate analysis were previous tuberculosis treatment, HIV infection, being an immigrant, and high load of positive for acid-fast bacillus (AFB) smear.
    CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study revealed that patients who had received previous treatment for tuberculosis, were infected with HIV, were immigrants, and had a high burden of positive testing for AFB smear were more likely to have MDR-TB. An enhanced understanding of the risk factors associated with MDR-TB strains is imperative in the development of a national policy for public health interventions.
  19. Choi CS, Yin CS, Bakar AA, Sakewi Z, Naing NN, Jamal F, et al.
    J Microbiol Immunol Infect, 2006 Dec;39(6):458-64.
    PMID: 17164947
    Data on the carriage rate and antibiotic sensitivity pattern of Staphylococcus aureus strains prevalent in the community are not available for many developing countries including Malaysia. To estimate the extent of community S. aureus transmission, in particular methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), the prevalence of S. aureus nasal colonization in a population of healthy adults was determined. Factors associated with S. aureus nasal carriage and antibiotic sensitivity patterns of the isolates were also analyzed.
  20. Razak AA, Saddki N, Naing NN, Abdullah N
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2009;10(6):1131-6.
    PMID: 20192598
    OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to identify the characteristics of oral cancer among Malay patients in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM), Kelantan.

    METHODS: A retrospective record review was conducted from August to December 2006 in HUSM. Of 133 patients with oral cancer diagnosed from 1986 to 2005, 118 were Malay. Data on socio-demographic background, high-risk habits practiced, clinical and histological characteristics, and treatment profile of the patients were obtained.

    RESULTS: Malay patients with oral cancer were predominantly elderly, aged 60 years old and above (51.7%) at the time of diagnosis, with a mean age of 58.1 years (SD 16.81). Most patients were males (64.4%) and the majority of them were married (83.9%). More than half (58.5%) had been smokers, and of those who smoked, 89.9% were males. Some had a betel quid chewing habit (22.9%) but none ever consumed alcohol. The majority of the patients (77.1%) were diagnosed at stage IV. The tongue was the most usual site involved (37.3%) and squamous cell carcinoma was the most common histological type seen (75.4%).

    CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of oral cancer among Malay patients in HUSM is high (88.7%). It is predominantly found in elderly males and the majority of cases present at advanced stage.

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